FA Buggering up junior football

[Phil Dicky]

Having some interest in the running of my sons football team I tend to hear the FA's top plans for junior football, the next range of changes are classics. Basically any football team up to u13 will be playing non competitive football, no leagues published, no winners, no losers, no cup games, and this is to teach our children the basics of football, what a crock.
It appears the thinking is to bring us into line with our European cousins....when really the lack of investment in grass roots football could be the reason we perform so badly.

What a bunch of tossers.........

[Bluequay]

There is still competitive football just not based around 8 month leagues. The proposals look very sensible to me, we want to produce players who are comfortable on the ball, not another generation on players hacking the ball into the other half because they are scared of making a mistake.

http://www.thefa.com/leagues/~/media/Files/PDF/Lea...

[Phil Dicky]

I agree with the team sizes that makes perfect sense...it's the non competitive games at u11

[Bluequay]

There will still be one day tournaments and other smaller comps just not a season long league. It's to give the kids a chance to play where winning isn't everything where they can learn to play and try things without making a mistake that could ruin a whole season. I like the idea and I think it's worth a go.

[vonuber]

Phil Dicky said:

I agree with the team sizes that makes perfect sense...it's the non competitive games at u11

It may be to stop you getting into fights with the other dads..

.. but more seriously, they are under 11 years old. let them enjoy playing without the pressure. This means we might actually learn to play rather than hoofing it to the big strong lads who can get a result through power.

[Hugo a Gogo]

excellent news

instead of teaching the team of biggest under-11 lads to grind out results against slightly smaller under-11s, kill the game, stop the flair players, they can actually learn to play football

[London424]

I'd like it if they went a step further and made it under head height till U12 or so. Really focus on passing and moving...not the classic hoof it up the pitch

[davepoth]

Also the smaller pitch and smaller teams mean each kid gets to kick the ball around more. I'm not a footballer, but I understand that learning how to kick the ball around is important.

[jules_s]

London424 said:

I'd like it if they went a step further and made it under head height till U12 or so. Really focus on passing and moving...not the classic hoof it up the pitch

I did a sports hall a few years back and the FA were pushing for Futsal at every opportunity...has that gone away now?

[mph1977]

junior football is a pressure cooker , even under 8s are trying to get spotted and signed up by the 'academies'

football dads trying to live out the failures of their youth pushing the kids to the point of tears and beyond as well as creating situations which would see you expelled from any other sport ...

as has been said before the aim seems to be to get the biggest lads in the age group and just keep playing 'route one' crapball ...

[mph1977]

davepoth said:

Also the smaller pitch and smaller teams mean each kid gets to kick the ball around more. I'm not a footballer, but I understand that learning how to kick the ball around is important.

exactly rather than 11 a side on full sized pitches which creates even more pressure for 'route one' crapball

[Kinky]

As the father of an U11 goalkeeper, I'm delighted that we're having in interim step between 7-a-side goals and full-size adult goals.

Moving from 7-a-side on a minis pitch to an 11-a-side full size is just absurd.

And there are still leagues and competitions next season

[Phil Dicky]

Kinky said:

As the father of an U11 goalkeeper, I'm delighted that we're having in interim step between 7-a-side goals and full-size adult goals.

Moving from 7-a-side on a minis pitch to an 11-a-side full size is just absurd.

And there are still leagues and competitions next season

Yeah but 2015 no competitive football under U11....none of this effects my lad he's u11 now, but he keeps an eye on the leagues more than me.

[ady1320]

vonuber said:

.. but more seriously, they are under 11 years old. let them enjoy playing without the pressure. This means we might actually learn to play rather than hoofing it to the big strong lads who can get a result through power.

could not put it any better myself

[sjc]

Phil Dicky said:

Having some interest in the running of my sons football team I tend to hear the FA's top plans for junior football, the next range of changes are classics. Basically any football team up to u13 will be playing non competitive football, no leagues published, no winners, no losers, no cup games, and this is to teach our children the basics of football, what a crock.
It appears the thinking is to bring us into line with our European cousins....when really the lack of investment in grass roots football could be the reason we perform so badly.

What a bunch of tossers.........

If you're involved in the running of a team, I'm gobsmacked you can't see the benefits in it.By non-competitive it means no leagues, the matches themselves will be every bit as competitive as they were.When a kid is in pieces because a mistake may have cost the game,a good academy coach will pop the lad into his office and ask him where the league table is,making the point to the lad that he (the coach) isn't worried in the slightest.It's what the pro academies have always done,( and even more so with ALL professional academies being regraded for next season) and the changes bring grassroots football nicely into line, along with their ethos of small pitch/small sided games,intermediate goals,playing in all positions, building from the back and generally making them better all-round footballers.Rest assured, the games themselves are frightenly competitive.As an aside, one of the pleasures of watching this type of football is the lack of bks spouted by parents from the touchline.Kids will still be aware of who they've beat etc ,but in time they will be young players not scared of making a mistake, and in turn playing with no fear and able to express themselves much more.It will take time,but the benefits long term will be massive.

[Phil Dicky]

ady1320 said:

vonuber said:

.. but more seriously, they are under 11 years old. let them enjoy playing without the pressure. This means we might actually learn to play rather than hoofing it to the big strong lads who can get a result through power.

could not put it any better myself

We've played our first season at 11 aside this years and the lads have loved it...but I've not seen one team hoofing the ball, and as for the stronger lads getting results through power would that be the case playing regardless of the team numbers

[Phil Dicky]

sjc said:

If you're involved in the running of a team, I'm gobsmacked you can't see the benefits in it.By non-competitive it means no leagues, the matches themselves will be every bit as competitive as they were.When a kid is in pieces because a mistake may have cost the game,a good academy coach will pop the lad into his office and ask him where the league table is,making the point to the lad that he (the coach) isn't worried in the slightest.It's what the pro academies have always done,( and even more so with ALL professional academies being regraded for next season) and the changes bring grassroots football nicely into line, along with their ethos of small pitch/small sided games,intermediate goals,playing in all positions, building from the back and generally making them better all-round footballers.Rest assured, the games themselves are frightenly competitive.As an aside, one of the pleasures of watching this type of football is the lack of bks spouted by parents from the touchline.Kids will still be aware of who they've beat etc ,but in time they will be young players not scared of making a mistake, and in turn playing with no fear and able to express themselves much more.It will take time,but the benefits long term will be massive.

I've yet to see one of our team players in pieces because he made a mistake and our team love the league idea and thrive off it ...I agree with the smaller pitches and numbers and can see the benefit there. But the kids have to learn about league tables and points etc , I just think waiting till they are into their teens makes no sense

[sjc]

Phil Dicky said:

ady1320 said:

vonuber said:

.. but more seriously, they are under 11 years old. let them enjoy playing without the pressure. This means we might actually learn to play rather than hoofing it to the big strong lads who can get a result through power.

could not put it any better myself

We've played our first season at 11 aside this years and the lads have loved it...but I've not seen one team hoofing the ball, and as for the stronger lads getting results through power would that be the case playing regardless of the team numbers

Phil,you say you haven't seen one team hoof the ball? Are you honestly saying that every team that has played against you has rolled the ball out from the keeper? Because that is one of the aims of the changes,and on the very odd occasion my lad hasn't got a WHU academy game we go and watch his old team, and without fail all I see is both keepers punting it as far down the pitch as they can.It's that sort of stuff that has to stop if we are going to build proper footballers for the future.WHU academy(and in fairness all the others based on last season)would rather give away a goal rolling the ball out and try to play properly,than gain 30 yds.It encourages defensive awareness,forces players to make themselves available, and also to think quickly and not dwell on the ball.Above all though,it's simply fantastic to watch.

[Phil Dicky]

sjc said:

Phil Dicky said:

ady1320 said:

vonuber said:

.. but more seriously, they are under 11 years old. let them enjoy playing without the pressure. This means we might actually learn to play rather than hoofing it to the big strong lads who can get a result through power.

could not put it any better myself

We've played our first season at 11 aside this years and the lads have loved it...but I've not seen one team hoofing the ball, and as for the stronger lads getting results through power would that be the case playing regardless of the team numbers

Phil,you say you haven't seen one team hoof the ball? Are you honestly saying that every team that has played against you has rolled the ball out from the keeper? Because that is one of the aims of the changes,and on the very odd occasion my lad hasn't got a WHU academy game we go and watch his old team, and without fail all I see is both keepers punting it as far down the pitch as they can.It's that sort of stuff that has to stop if we are going to build proper footballers for the future.WHU academy(and in fairness all the others based on last season)would rather give away a goal rolling the ball out and try to play properly,than gain 30 yds.It encourages defensive awareness,forces players to make themselves available, and also to think quickly and not dwell on the ball.Above all though,it's simply fantastic to watch.

Sorry, thought we were talking about long ball from defence, my mistake......I get the points about encouraging playing the ball on the ground etc and have said I agree with them via the 9a side route. My sticking point is the leagues or lack of them

[dirty boy]

Phil Dicky said:

My sticking point is the leagues or lack of them

I don't think there's a need to have leagues.

We put enough pressure on our kids with school exams at young ages, something I don't agree with, as kids develop at such massively varying rates.

I think they're not really capable of dealing mentally with failure (all kids can deal with success).

Give them the foundations to build upon, then introduce the target once those foundations are solid.

Too much too young.

I've had my dad scream at me as a youngster, I couldn't handle it (and I was bloody good, i've got the scalps of a world champion on my CV - albeit not footy) and subsequently gave up.

Not all kids are equal or prepared for a competitive league.

PS Don't get me wrong, as with respect to sports day, i'm all for competitiveness there.